A special court for Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday acquitted Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case dating back to 2018. The complaint had been initiated by local Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Mishra, who alleged that Gandhi made objectionable and defamatory remarks targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru.
Special Judge Shubham Verma pronounced the acquittal after concluding the final arguments and examining testimony presented by the prosecution and defense teams. Gandhi’s legal counsel argued that the political commentary made during an election campaign lacked malicious intent and did not satisfy the legal threshold required for criminal defamation under the Indian Penal Code. The defense maintained that legitimate political criticism of rival party leadership is protected speech within democratic discourse.
The ruling marks the conclusion of a six-year legal dispute that saw Gandhi personally appear before the Sultanpur magistrate to secure bail in February. Congress party leaders across Uttar Pradesh welcomed the judicial verdict, stating that the decision vindicated their stance against the use of punitive defamation proceedings to silence political opposition.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-amit-shah-defamation-case-sultanpur-accident-up-verdict-october-26-2026/article71625707.ece